Lightbearer: The Lorica Prophecies–a Review by J. D. Rempel

Lightbearer: The Lorica Prophecies was written by Marcy Weydemuller and published through Helping Hands Press (2014). It is a fantasy novel for YA.

Jonne, who is on his way to his choosing ceremony, meets a mysterious stranger. The stranger advises the young man to search his heart for what he might want to do in the future. At the ceremony the mysterious man announces there is an opening for a lightbearer in the High Valley. The people in the village have never been to the High Valley.

The opportunity excites Jonne even though it means he will probably never see his family again. Saum, Jonne’s best friend, has already decided their plans for the future and thinks it is best that they work as a team. But Jonne wants to be on his own without Saum; he has always felt he was in Saum’s shadow.

Jonne knows becoming a lightbearer will not be easy and that he must develop a relationship with El Olam (God). Jonne prays and asks El Olam if he is to go to the High Valley. He asks for a sign. El Olam answers him and Jonne chooses to go to the High Valley. Saum sees that Jonne wants to leave and wants to go too, but he is refused.

Jonne travels to the High Valley and learns more about El Olam and how to become a lightbearer. An unexpected visitor arrives at the High Valley to complicate things for Jonne during his training. He tries hard to do what is right. In the end there is an unexpected twist which shows how God can use anyone for His glory.

Even though Lightbearer: The Lorica Prophecies is fiction, it gives the reader some deep spiritual ideas to think about. It shows how we as Christians have two callings in our life. One is to be a lightbearer to others (showing Jesus’ light) and the second is the calling or vocation that God has given each person. The story shows Jonne’s vocational calling, for which God has prepared him beforehand, is something that Jonne is passionate about and also is gifted. Also Jonne is a good example of what we should be, how we should rely on God, how we should ask for His guidance through prayer, and then how to be obedient to what He has called us to do.

Lightbearer: The Lorica Prophecies is a young adult novel. But, we are also recommending it for those who are 12-years-old and older. It was quite the page-turner and I think even adults would enjoy it. Lightbearer is 147 pages and is available on Kindle.

J. D. Rempel is a graduate of Simpson College. She is endeavoring to pen a preteen science fiction novel and an adult fantasy series. She loves to read and started a library at her church. She enjoys working with her husband in youth ministry and has two dwarf hamsters, Lucy and Suzy.